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complications

The development of secondary bacterial infections after having flu is a very important complication for horses, both in terms of the degree and longevity of the illness and the financial implications to the owner. For non-sports horses it is probably the most important part of the whole flu syndrome.

Risk Factors

Secondary infection may occur if the horse has a compromised immune system, either due to age, stress or illness or because the lining of the respiratory tract has not fully recovered and the horse is over exercised.

Clinical Signs

Typical signs include a thick yellow/green nasal discharge (shown below), and a wet, often productive cough. The horse may develop a high temperature and be dull and off its food. These signs will usually last for much longer than they would with infection of flu alone. Horses who are very compromised may develop particularly severe infections, leading to pneumonia or even death.

Action Needed

Call your vet if you are concerned that your horse may have a bacterial infection.

The Animal Health Trust is a veterinary charity, based in Suffolk, which offers clinical referral services and diagnostic testing for horses, dogs and cats in East Anglia, across the UK and internationally. Through its research programmes it develops new diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines to help thousands of animals.